Manchester City rode Erling Haaland’s early goal to a 1-0 win at Brentford that puts them within three points of the throne room heading into the international break.
MORE — Pep Guardiola on making history, Rodri injury
Josko Gvardiol cued up Haaland’s Premier League-best ninth goal of the season and Gianluigi Donnarumma was solid at the back as City moved onto 13 points, three off the top of the table.
The win was Pep Guardiola’s 250th in the Premier League. He’s the fourth manager to reach that milestone and the fastest (Arsene Wenger, Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes).
WATCH — Brentford vs Manchester City full match replay
Brentford slip to a fourth loss and enter the international break three points above the drop zone in 16th place.
Erling Haaland the main character but defense the story
The unreal monster that is Erling Haaland dominates headlines as he scores like few others, and his goal against Brentford was one of his best. He bodied a man, darted past another, and send Bees goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher pawing the air. Yet it was the monstrous men at the other end who stood out. This 1-0 rarely saw real worry in Man City box because Gianluigi Donnarumma is a different kind of presence to City’s previous keepers. He’s showing himself able with his feet but this was about control of the box and he looms so large. He makes the jobs of Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol so much easier and in turn that eases the burden on Rodri and the midfield. Pep Guardiola’s technical marvels are an immense physical challenge for the opposition this season. They are a title contender.
What’s next?
The international break! Then City host Everton at 10am ET Saturday, October 18 before going to Villarreal in the UEFA Champions League.
Brentford wait for Monday, October 20 and a 3pm ET kickoff at West Ham United.
How to watch Brentford vs Manchester City live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 11:30am ET Sunday
Venue: Gtech Community Stadium — London
TV Channel: USA
Streaming: Watch live on NBC.com
Brentford vs Manchester City final score: 0-1
Erling Haaland 9'
Brentford vs Manchester City live updates — by Nick Mendola
Nervy ending
Four minutes stoppage in a game City have refused to put to bed and now have to deliver at the back.
Man City changes
Jeremy Doku and Bernardo Silva are next to enter the game, as Oscar Bobb and Tijjani Reijnders exit stage left in the 77th minute.
Brentford subs
Bees have been hanging around, and Andrews has now made three subs: Mathias Jensen and Dango Ouattara entered for Mikkel Damsgaard and Igor Thiago in the 68th minute, then Frank Onyeka and Vitaly Janelt arrived for Yehor Yarmoliuk and Jordan Henderson six minutes later.
Still 1-0 City in the 75th minute.
Donnarumma saves a breakaway
A long pass from Brentford starts a counter attack and Igor Thiago is through to goal after a mistimed challenge from Josko Gvardiol.
Thiago’s dribble is imperfect, at least giving Donnarumma enough of a chance to weighs up the 1v1 chance and make a leg save.
What a signing.
Halftime — Brentford 0-1 Manchester City
Haaland’s powerful goal stands out as does Rodri’s injury, but Nico Gonzalez has done well in his countryman’s place.
Brentford can at least say the game is within reach even if the visuals don’t give a lot of hope to Keith Andrews’ Bees.
Rodri injury
Looks to be muscular, not knee-related, but still a huge development here as Rodri is asking to exit after 20 minutes.
Nico Gonzalez takes his spot. For further reading on his injury and history, head here.
Erling Haaland goal — Brentford 0-1 Manchester City
How does one defend this?
Haaland bodies Sepp van den Berg, then nimbly gets around him to snag the ball, dart by another defender with a perfect set-up touch to fire beyond Kelleher.
Josko Gvardiol with the assist. Wow. Nine PL goals on the young season.
Brentford lineup
Kelleher, Hickey, Van den Berg, Collins, Ajer, Kayode, Henderson, Yarmoliuk, Damsgaard, Schade, Thiago
Manchester City lineup
Donnarumma, Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly, Rodri, Reijnders, Bobb, Foden, Savinho, Haaland
Brentford vs Man City preview — by Andy Edwards
Pep Guardiola’s side hammered newly promoted Burnley 5-1 last weekend with the help of two own goals (that would have otherwise been tap-ins) and Erling Haaland scored twice to take his tally to eight goals in six Premier League games. He then proceeded to score two more goals against Monaco in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday (his fourth brace already this season). The only game in which Haaland failed to score was Manchester City’s 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur (Week 2). No other player in the PL has more than four goals this season, and no other Man City player has scored more than one.
Brentford striker Igor Thiago is one of three players with those four goals (alongside Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo and Burnley’s Jaidon Anthony, just as predicted) after bagging a brace of his own in a routine 3-1 victory over Manchester United last weekend. Likewise, Thiago is the only Bee with multiple PL goals. If Brentford beat Man City, they will become just the second side to beat both Manchester clubs in back-to-back PL games, following in the footsteps of Tottenham Hotspur back in 1996, nearly 30 years ago.
Brentford team news, focus
QUESTIONABLE: Gustavo Nunes (thigh), Paris Maghoma (other) | QUESTIONABLE: Reiss Nelson (illness)
Manchester City team news, focus
OUT: Abdukodir Khusanov (ankle), Rayan Ait Nouri (undisclosed injury), Omar Marmoush (knee), Rayan Cherki (thigh), Kalvin Phillips (achilles) | QUESTIONABLE: Rodri (knee)
Brentford vs Manchester City prediction
Brentford don’t have quite the same legs and work rate higher up the field as they did in previous seasons, and that seemed to always be the great equalizer when they would face (and inevitably upset) the bigger sides, and for that reason Haaland will have plenty of service (and chances). Brentford 1-3 Manchester City.
